The News

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

Feb 2015

SPIA student Kathleen Wilson is honored to be this week's UGA Amazing Student. Wilson is a Foundation Fellow who has traveled the world and is now working in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Department of State in preparation for her career advocating for the political, economic and social rights of women and girls worldwide. "My first semester at UGA, I took a Spanish class, an Arabic class, an international affairs class, an economics class and a chemistry class," said Wilson. "Reflecting on the past 2 1/2 years I have spent at UGA, my experiences often seem like my freshman course load—a bit random and disjointed. Nonetheless, they have wonderfully blended together to form the cohesive narrative of who I am and what I’m passionate about."

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

Feb 2015

Professor Andrew Owsiak has been awarded the 2015 Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Owsiak, who joined UGA's faculty in 2011, uses innovative methods while teaching Introduction to International Relations, Peace Studies and Crisis Diplomacy courses. Described as a "natural teacher" by a colleague, Owsiak uses simulations and role-playing that create visceral reactions from students, instilling in them the passion that he holds for the subjects. His work in the classroom has driven Owsiak and a colleague to study the effect of instructional techniques-whether lecture-based, discussion-based or simulation-based-on learning.

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

Feb 2015

SPIA alumna Shannon Vreeland received an NCAA Today's Top 10 Award, which recognizes student-athletes for their successes in academics, athletics and in the community. Vreeland, a native of Overland Park, Kansas, helped the Lady Bulldogs win their second straight NCAA title and their fifth consecutive SEC championship last season. A 19-time All-American, Vreeland swam on four NCAA-winning relays during her career: the 800-yard freestyle relays in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the 400-yard freestyle relay in 2013. She also earned two individual and five relay titles during her career at the SECs. Vreeland helped the 800-yard freestyle relay squad set the American record, while the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays eclipsed the U.S. Open and NCAA marks.

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

Globis

Dec 2014

America is in deep turmoil. Incidents of police violence have resulted in the deaths of several unarmed African-American citizens, spawning protests in cities across America and even in England.
Many expert observers define this conflict primarily as a racial issue, while others point fingers at the flawed judicial system or inadequate training on the part of police personnel. Still others see the root cause as pre-existing structural violence where unbearable distributive injustice is becoming progressively more acute.

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

Department of Political Science

Dec 2014

Two students in the Political Science & International Affairs Ph.D. program have recently accepted faculty positions at first-rate academic institutions. Both of these students will graduate with their Ph.D. in Political Science & International Affairs from the University of Georgia in May 2015 and will start their new faculty jobs in the fall of 2015. Chris Hare has accepted a position as an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Davis. In 2013, US News and World Report ranked UC-Davis as having the #23 graduate program in Political Science nationwide. Sarah Fisher has accepted a position as an assistant professor in the Department of Politics, Law, and International Relations at Emory & Henry College. Emory & Henry is consistently regarded as one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. In 2014, Washington Monthly rated Emory & Henry as the #37 liberal arts college in the nation.

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

Oct 2014

On Friday, September 3, 2014, Dr. Loch Johnson was awarded the Blue Key Service Award at the annual Blue Key banquet. As the Regents Professor of Public and International Affairs at UGA, Dr. Johnson is well known for his teaching and service to the School. He is a founder of the School of Public and International Affairs and was crucial in the founding of the Service Memorial near the Miller Learning Center. In addition, he participated in the creation of the Abraham Baldwin statue that stands proudly on North Campus as a dedication to the university's founder and first president. Dr. Johnson is a Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor and the author or editor of over 200 articles and thirty books on U.S. national security.

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

Aug 2014

Dr. Loch K. Johnson’s book “Intelligence: The Secret World of Spies: An Anthology” has hit The Washington Post’s bestseller list for nonfiction. In his book, Johnson and Wirtz present a diverse, comprehensive, and yet highly accessible set of readings from leading experts in the field. This edition includes: 24 new articles, a new epilogue, updated instruction, discussion questions, and comprehensive coverage of many hot topics.

Department of International Affairs

Center for International Trade and Security

Jun 2014

The Center for International Trade and Security (CITS) hosted a delegation from the Chinese State Nuclear Security Technology Center (SNSTC) from June 16-20, 2014 in Athens, Georgia. CITS experts provided training to the delegation on subjects including nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear security, and nuclear security culture. This event demonstrates CITS's (1) continuous efforts within its active programs in China and (2) great expertise in nuclear security and nuclear security culture issue areas.

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

May 2014

Professor of International Affairs, Dr. Cas Mudde, is an expert on European politics and is the foremost scholar on the far right in western democracies. He has published widely on topics such as (un)civil society, democratization, Euroskepticism, extremism and democracy, political parties, and populism. His prime geographical regions of expertise are Europe, both East and West, and North America. This month, Europe will elect 751 new members of the European Parliament. As the election draws near, Dr. Mudde is quoted in multiple news sources, including ABC News, US News, and Reuters.

School of Public and International Affairs

Department of International Affairs

May 2014

Congratulations to SPIA student Shannon Vreeland for being named as the 2013-2014 SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year! Chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the SEC Universities, Vreeland will receive $15,000 postgraduate scholarships from AT&T and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Vreeland is a Georgia swimmer majoring in International Relations and Economics. She is also the recipient of the Ramsey Scholarship for Academic and Athletic Excellence, as well as the Lisa Coole Memorial Scholarship. Vreeland won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics and three gold medals at the 2013 World Championships.

Since its inception in 2001, the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs is honored to call four Rhodes scholars, two Marshall scholars, three Carnegie Junior Fellows, and three Truman scholars graduates of its programs.

Department of International Affairs
School of Public and International Affairs
The University of Georgia
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Athens, GA 30602-1492
706-542-6705 (Director's Office)
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